Install or Upgrade the Airport Wireless Card In a Macbook

Hey! This article has a ton of photos.  I know it takes a while to load.  Thanks for your patience! There are many reasons to pry open your Macbook and fidget with the Airport card. Some laptops only came with 802.11g, so perhaps you're upgrading. It's also possible that your airport card needs replacing. Even if it's not the airpot card you're after, you may need to know how to open your Macbook up. For those brave enough, this article will show you how it's all done.

Step 1. Turn the computer upside down and insert the penny in the slot. Rotate it to open the battery compartment.

Step 2. Slide the battery out and set it to the side.

Step 3. Loosen the three screws along the inside of the L bracket (see picture) and gently remove it.

Step 4. Before we open this sucker it, it might be a good idea to glance over the rest of the article and draw some diagrams. The Macbook uses many different size screws, and we REALLY don't want to get them mixed up. Click the picture on the side here to see such I sketch.

Step 5. It may be helpful to place the screws on the diagram you drew up as you remove them. Start by taking the two 5.5mm screws out of the CD drive side of the Macbook.

Step 6. Remove the two 3mm screws from the other side (with all the ports).

Step 7. Take the four screws (12mm and 8mm) out of the back vent side of the Macbook.

Step 8. Turn the Macbook over. Remove the three 3mm screws that were under the L bracket in the battery compartment.

Step 9. On the opposite side of the battery compartment there are nine 3mm screws. Only 4 actually need to be removed. From left to right take out number 2, 4, 7, and 9.

Step 10. The next two screws are on the connector side of the compartment. Take out the two 6mm screws on the far left and right sides. Don't worry about the other two.

Step 11. The last three screws are just above the battery compartment. It is CRUCIAL that you don't mix them up. The top two are 14mm screws, and the middle one is a 11mm. If you mix these up putting them back in, you'll break the motherboard. Take all three of the screws out and set them aside.

Step 12. You need to be really careful with the next step. You're going to lift the the keyboard off of the Macbook. Underneath the keyboard is a ribbon connecting it to the motherboard (see the next picture). Loosen the keyboard around the edges and lift it away from the body of the computer.

Step 13. Unclip the keyboard/trackpad ribbon connector from the motherboard. It literally just pops off there. Lift the keyboard tray off the laptop and set it to the side.

Step 14. To replace the Airport card you need to lift the black and grey antennas off. They connect on little tabs and should pop off much like the keyboard ribbon did. Then unscrew the 3mm and 8.5mm screws. Lift the Airport out and put the new one in.

Step 15. Position the eyelet back over the airpot, screw the screws in, and pop the antennas back on. Retrace the above steps to screw the rest of the screws back in and you should be set to go! If you use Tiger and installed an wireless n card you'll need to run the enabler. Also, remember the warning in the picture on the right - the short screw goes into the middle on the back. Failure to do so will destroy your Macbook!

Additional Tips

• Keep your work surface ridiculously clean
• Print this article out or have it near by. Once you shut your macbook down, it's not going to be much help.
• Make sure you're free of static before you go poking around in your macbook.
• It probably goes without saying, but user upgrades like this aren't official endorsed by Apple. You're on your own here.